32-Strong Syndicate Revealed As Winners Of €17 Million EuroMillions Jackpot

Updated: Friday 8th June 2018

It has been revealed the single winning ticket of €17 million (£14.8 million) in the EuroMillions draw on Tuesday 5th June is owned by a 32-strong syndicate from the Stakelums Home and Hardware store in Thurles, Co Tipperary. However, celebrations were somewhat muted after the father of one of the syndicate members tragically passed away on the same night, one hour before the winning numbers were drawn.

Each Member Set to Receive €531,000

The winning numbers in Tuesday’s EuroMillions draw were 9, 15, 22, 39 and 46, plus the Lucky Stars 4 and 5. It emerged shortly afterwards that a single ticket from Ireland, bought at an Eason newsagents in Thurles Shopping Centre, had matched all seven numbers to scoop the eight-figure windfall.

It is now known that the syndicate was a group of 32 work colleagues at the hardware store, where 70 staff are thought to be employed. It is believed the members are set to receive an equal spit worth €531,000 (£465,961) each. The Stakelums store, currently managed by John and Pat Stakelum. has been a family-run business ever since the 1960s, and has become a well-known part of the local community.

The syndicate have been playing for the past 25 years, and the winners are a real mix of people. There are a husband and wife, some players who are still part of the group despite leaving the company, and others who have only been playing for six months or less.

Father of One of the Winners Passes Away

The group have already contacted National Lottery officials in Dublin to collect their EuroMillions winnings, however, the celebrations are understood to be subdued and bittersweet following the death of one of the member’s fathers on the same night.

40-year-old Joe Connolly, one of the lucky winners and General Manager at the Stakelums store, said: “It’s going to be muted celebrations as much as anything else. We had a conversation among ourselves and it was agreed that, as a mark of respect for our colleague, we wouldn’t be jumping up and down. One of the women only lost her father at 7pm on the Wednesday and then the draw was made at 8pm. The first thing she said when she heard about the win was: ‘I know he’s looking down on me now’.

“It’s life-changing to an extent for some. It depends on your situation in life. It will positively impact on 32 families. You want everybody to get it, enjoy it and manage it.”, Connolly continued. He went on to say customers and well-wishers have been leaving cards at the store, congratulating and shaking hands with the staff members.

Gerard Sammon, the company’s financial manager, was responsible for handling the syndicate, and Connolly revealed his colleague knew they had won straight away after checking their numbers. “It was quick enough, to be fair, him being an accountant, he loves numbers. He discovered late [on Tuesday] night we had won and he called me. But because of the bereavement we held it until Wednesday morning to speak to staff. If the call had come from anybody else, I would have said, ‘This is a wind-up'.”

Join Your Own Syndicate Today

If you’ve been inspired by the Stakelums successful syndicate, you can join your own EuroMillions syndicate ahead of tonight’s draw for an estimated £14 million. Syndicates offer players better odds of winning without increasing the cost of playing. Visit our Lottery Tickets section to find out more and enter to be win with a chance of winning. Good luck!

Published: Friday 8th June 2018

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